Pasta Alla Norma (Sicilian)

Very quickly: short

Ingredients (2–3 servings)

• 200–250 g pasta (rigatoni or spaghetti)
• 1 medium eggplant
• 2 cups tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• Fresh basil
• Ricotta salata (or pecorino if you can’t find it)
• Olive oil
• Salt

Steps

1. Salt eggplant — cut eggplant into ~1 cm cubes or half-moons. Salt lightly and let sit 15–20 min. Pat dry.

2. Fry eggplant — fry in generous olive oil until deeply golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.

3. Make sauce — in another pan: olive oil, lightly fry garlic, add tomatoes + salt. Simmer ~10–15 min until thick. Add torn basil.

4. Cook pasta — boil pasta in salted water until al dente.

5. Combine — toss pasta with the tomato sauce. Fold in most of the eggplant.

6. Finish — plate, top with remaining eggplant, grated ricotta salata, fresh basil, drizzle olive oil.

Key Sicilian detail: eggplant is fried separately and added at the end so it stays textured instead of dissolving into the sauce.